iPhone 6: here’s our wish list

The iPhone 6 is coming – or so we think it is. Or so we think they are? Are multiple iPhone 6s coming? Is the 4-inch iPhone nearing end of life? What about that plastic thing Apple made last year? Is it dead, too?

Oh, yeah. The plot thickens every single day. And we actually have no idea what to think about these upcoming iPhones or all the rumors that claim to have the answers to one of the biggest tech mysteries of 2014.

Still, each and every day, I get bombarded with all sorts of questions regarding the upcoming iPhone. “What do you know about the iPhone 6?” “When is the new iPhone coming out?” “Have you tested the new iPhone yet? What’s it like?” “Should I upgrade now or wait for the iPhone 6?”

All I can do anymore when someone asks me any of these questions is drop my shoulders and head and sigh. And while I don’t know what the iPhone 6 is like just yet or what it will actually entail, I do have an iPhone 6 wish list.

A new body style

Everyone keeps talking about how they want a bigger iPhone. Mostly what people want is a larger screen (not just a taller one) with more real estate to play Candy Crush and see the pixelated, blurry selfies their friends post on Instagram twice per hour.

Of course, I want a larger iPhone, as well. My giant thumbs don’t play nicely with the iOS keyboard – even the new predictive one in iOS 8. Literally, my thumb can cover one-fourth of the iPhone 5 display.

While we’re pretty certain the iPhone 6 (or whatever it is/they are finally called) will come with a larger display, it’s about time for a new design, too.

Concepts of a new iPhone design have flooded the Internet since the iPhone 4S was still a rumor, and we still haven’t seen a totally new design. Apple claimed the iPhone 5 was built from the ground up and the fact it was so much like the iPhone 4 and 4S just corroborated how great its previous design was. Rather, I found it a lack of creativity and unwillingness to try something new.

Some leaks claim the design will appear more iPad-like, that the iPhone 6 models will look a lot like a shrunken iPad Air or mini. I suppose that will suffice, but I was thinking something more drastic, like the old teardrop concept that, unfortunately, never came to fruition. I don’t care how awful the weight distribution would be on that phone, it would still be gorgeous.

An even better camera

Ever since the iPhone 4, the camera on all the iPhone models has been surprisingly great. I’ve continued to carry the iPhone 5 almost solely for its camera capabilities. It consistently takes great pictures in most situations and has more third-party cameras and photo editors than any other mobile platform.

However, over the years, other manufacturers have adopted new technologies – OIS, larger pixels on the sensor, insanely high-resolution sensors, etc. – and surpassed the imaging capabilities of the iPhone.

The iPhone still takes great photos, but it would be nice to see Apple bump the resolution, introduce a new (useful) feature or two, and push the smartphone image sensing realm along even further with the iPhone 6.

More RAM and storage

Most high-end flagships come with either 2GB or 3GB of RAM.

It was just two years ago that Apple upgraded the iPhone to 1GB RAM, and even last year’s iPhone 5s also came with just 1GB RAM. Oh, and the newest iPads come with just 1GB RAM. But that’s not really enough anymore.

It’s time Apple upgrades it standard memory to 2GB at the very least. Sure, 3GB may be excessive right now, but at least it would future-proof the hardware for software updates in years to come.

Okay, so maybe wishing for 3GB RAM is a little far-fetched. But is 2GB too much to ask for? With increasing resolutions, more complex games and apps making their way to App Store and all the additions made in each version of iOS, RAM requirements have to be outpacing Apple’s memory upgrade schedule. Just, please, give us 2GB RAM already!

Standard connections

Wi-Fi 802.11 and infrared are also becoming customary in flagships.

Okay, now I’m really going out on a limb here, but I’d also love to see some more standard connectivity options in the iPhone. Wi-Fi 802.11 ac is the newest standard, and although I personally can’t take advantage of it yet, it’d be nice for Apple’s latest smartphone to actually be compatible with the latest in wireless networking technology, right?

Something I would use, however, is an IR blaster. I thought it was a little silly for some Android OEMs to start fitting their 2013 flagships with infrared again, but it turned out to be one of the most useful things to come to smartphones in a long while. When I’m using a smartphone with an IR blaster on it, I rarely reach for the TV remote when I sit down to watch a movie or television show – I grab my smartphone and launch the TV app.

Frankly, I don’t care which standard takes off or wins in the very end, but I do want OEMs to pick one and use it … in every smartphone. The iPhone is included in that, as much of a long shot as an iPhone with wireless charging may be. As our own Adam Lein so wittingly pointed out to me, whichever standard Apple might choose would have a dramatically higher chance of being adopted as a global standard. Case manufacturers and third-party wireless chargers would abound.

Effectively, it would make wireless charging a better experience for all smartphone users.

Sapphire

Finally, sapphire.

We know Apple purchased $578 million in sapphire from GT Advanced, and the odds of having a sapphire screen on the upcoming iPhone are pretty high.

Why is sapphire significant? It will practically put an end to those hideous scratches on your smartphone screen. Sapphire is the second-hardest material on Earth. The only things that could scratch your smartphone screen would effectively be another piece of sapphire or a diamond. So, yes, you could technically scratch a sapphire screen, but it would be much more difficult than our run-of-the-mill Gorilla Glass screen.

However, sapphire also gives me pause. Due to its tremendous hardness and scratch-resistance, it is also for more rigid and, thus, brittle than other types of glass. For the 21 months I’ve owned and carried the iPhone 5, I’ve dropped it countless times and never shattered the screen. An iPhone with a sapphire screen may not fare so well in bumps and tumbles.

Based out of Charlotte, NC, Taylor Martin started writing about technology in 2009 while working in wireless retail. He has used BlackBerry off and on for over seven years, Android for nearly four years, iOS for three years, and has experimented with both webOS and Windows Phone. Taylor has reviewed countless smartphones and tablets, and doesn't go anywhere without a couple gadgets in his pockets or "nerd bag." In his free time, Taylor enjoys playing disc golf with friends, rock climbing, and playing video games. He also enjoys the occasional hockey game, and would do unspeakable things for some salmon nigiri. For more on Taylor Martin, checkout his Pocketnow Insider edition.| Google+